California Animal Preserve Owner Saved Animals; House Burned

More than a dozen wildfires whipped by powerful winds been burning though California. The flames have destroyed at least The fires have destroyed 2,000 homes and businesses and killed at least 19 people. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)

The owner of a wildlife preserve in California saved the preserve’s animals from wildfire, but the fires destroyed his house.

Peter Lang, the owner of Safari West, said the choice to save the animals was easy, according to a Tuesday report in The Press-Democrat.

"I have a thousand souls I’m responsible for. It wasn’t even a decision. This is what I had to do," Lang said.

The preserve contains more than 1,000 animals, mainly African species such as cheetahs, giraffes, and rhinoceroses. "I did not lose a single animal. It is amazing," Lang said in The Press-Democrat.

Lang’s family compound, a half-mile east of the preserve, was destroyed. As the wildfire approached, Lang helped his wife, the preserve’s employees, and 30 overnight guests off the estate, then stayed behind with a garden hose, dousing the fire’s hot spots, according to The Press-Democrat.

The preserve owner ran between the animals’ enclosures, guiding animals including hyenas from one enclosure to the next to protect them, the report said.

"Peter stayed. It’s his baby," employee Jane Haught said in The Press-Democrat’s report.